The Optimist & The Pessimist
by Jesus.Lives
Summary: Series of drabbles on when miss hatefilled [Mai] met mr happy go lucky [Teo]. Up now: Another captured senario.
1. Imprisoned

**SUMMARY:**

_During the war Aang recruits are wreaking havoc while he takes on the big guys. The kids from the Northern Air temple are taking the skies, setting bombs on the nation. Unfortunately when Teo steps down for a reload, he runs into two deadly assailants..._

**AUTHOR NOTE:**

_I was actually going to do a Ty Lee/Teo story but I couldn't do it. I think Ty Lee is really a Haru girl. So that leaves, the crazy one with no heart... Mai... come on down... :D They do look perfect together - Teo and Mai. Ahhh... great pairing._

**I own nothing.**

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"You're fire nation"

"You're observent." Mai said, and looked the boy up and down in the wheelchair. A crippled boy - in the middle of a war? Now she'd seen everything. It was almost as funny as the blind girl training the Avatar. "but you've got nowhere to run."

The boy let out a laugh. "That's funny. I don't have to run." He started to wheel his chair off the cliff and the glider took off. He waved at the girls from the air.

Mai was infuriated.

"You know... was it just me or was he kinda cute?" Ty Lee said with a grin - even though her whole nation was under attack by the Avatar's misfit army from the leftovers of the nations, and they were losing badly, she could still think about boys at a time like this.

Mai looked at her. "Must you think every friend of the Avatar's is cute?" She asked peeved.

Ty Lee was dumbfounded. "Well, only the cute ones..."

Although it irked Mai, she had to admit, Ty Lee wasn't the only one who found he was cute.

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She thought about him since that moment. And it bugged her. He was the one that got away.

She was the one imprisoned for what it would seem to be the next twenty years of her life and every time she heard his wheelchair screetch on the floors of the concrete enclosure it sent a shiver clawing it's way up her spine.

"It's ironic isn't it?" The boy said, placing a plate of food beside her. "My life was torn apart by the fire nation and here we are." He rested his hand in his lap.

Mai traced her nail in her skin wishing it was a knife, but of course no one would be stupid enough to give an asassin skilled at throwing knives any sort of combat weapon.

She wondered if he'd ever weilded a weapon. Felt what it was like to have power in your hands, if only for an instant. She stopped herself. What was she thinking? This boy was earth nation. He probably had never even thought about power in his life.

That's how the earth nation got taken down so easily. Although if the Dragon of the West could have done his job right - it would have been taken down a lot easier and maybe they wouldn't even be in this position right now.

Maybe he'd be the one encaged and she would be his master.

"You know, I'm sure Aang will get you out on good behavior" he said pleasantly. Mai looked into those friendly eyes. He wasn't afraid of her.

That made her dislike him all the more.

Though Ty Lee was right. He was cute. A slight dimple formed on his cheek as he smiled and looked around her enclosure. "It's not very comfortable is it?"

Mai got up and touched the bars. "If you're trying to make me regret who I am, it's not going to work."

"I don't know who you are" he said shyly and looked away.

It was hopeless. Ty Lee was encaged for less time. She would be released to the circus soon. They didn't know what they were going to do with her.

"But I think maybe you're not who you want to be" he added.

The funny thing was, that she didn't deserve his hope, his optimism... but he gave it anyway. He didn't know anything about her but he just assumed deep down that she could be good, she could be normal - if she'd got a new start like he did.

He got a new life. She needed a new life.

Mai's eyes were hollow. She knew nothing else. Hate, impaitence, the desire for power. She almost forgot what it was like to be that little kid with a crush on Zuko and had all the hope in the world for the future. This boy never stopped hoping. Some new feeling touched the pit of her stomach.

It was something like envy. She pulled at a strand of her black hair and angrily yanked it out. It was all she could do to stop the esculating of anger from this feeling.

"I don't want to be anyone."

"You don't need to be anyone. That's why I live in the sky. I glide. I fly. And I don't have to think. I don't have to be anyone. I just am."

Must be why he is so happy all the time. It was then that a tear escaped Mai and she was broken. Funny that the shell, so hard and firm; the essence of her... no feeling, no love, nothing could be cracked by someone who had never weilded a weapon, never killed a man and almost never left his father's side.

Gentleness was a weapon that she'd never heard of before. Mercy was a smack in the face so hard that she almost didn't feel numb anymore.

The first step was enabling her to feel and the last step would be to bring the fire nation girl home to live with the rest of the outcasts at the Northern Air temple.

She grew from hating the sound of rusty tires on the floor, to waiting paitently for it each day.


	2. Northern Air Temple

**SUMMARY:**

_Mai arrives at the Northern Air Temple. Woot!_

_I love this pairing. This is my... BB & Rae styled Avatar pairing. The eternal optimist with the eternal pessimist. The dark with the light. The too friendly for his own good, paired with the not good with people..._

_Bah, Zutara. You really want an opposite pairing - go for Teo and Mai. Now they're real opposites._

_Not like the both overly emotion charged Zuko & Katara._

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Teo was a fun loving guy. He never was afraid of much. Ever since his legs stopped working, he hadn't felt the need to fear.

At least that was one blessing to come from his "accident".

Mai also never feared. Perhaps that was more to do with blocking everything around her out, than tragedy.

She didn't pity, she didn't regret, she never felt sorry.

She just felt dead.

Until he came along. One of the Avatar's friends.

_The Avatar!_ It was almost funny. She never hated the Avatar. She just didn't bother with him. She knew Azula wanted to bring him in mostly to see her brother fail and Mai went along partly out of bordem, mostly out of loyalty to fire nation royalty, and a friend.

Mai didn't want to see her brother fail, she just wanted to see Azula's brother. She did see him again, when he was fighting Azula.

He'd changed. She hadn't. Life goes on.

"Resisting the urge to kill, hunt and destroy?" Teo asked playfully.

"I can't believe you brought me here." She said icily.

"It's great, huh?"

Mai shook her head and said stoicly. "I feel too... normal. I want to go back to the fire nation. Maybe join the circus."

He had to laugh. Now she was stretching. The circus? That was the last place anyone could see her going.

"You could live in Ba Sing Se" he offered.

She screwed up her face. She remembered Ba Sing Se. She wasn't going to live in an earth kingdom capital. Desperation hadn't hit that badly yet.

"Or stay here" he offered again, this time a blush spreading across his face.

She looked out over the clouds and it was like nothing else existed. The boy in the wheelchair beside her reached out a hand to her.

She took it, lips pursed, thinking. It sucked getting caught by the Avatar. It really sucked being imprisoned and it sucked even more that Zuko was moving on with his life and showed no pity to Ty Lee or herself. In fact the only one that really showed her pity was Zuko's mother, Ursa and Teo.

Zuko had nothing to give them. Wouldn't even throw them a bone. But Teo did.

And as she looked out at the horizon she realized... Teo had the world from up here... and she wasn't used to taking things without force.

She was gripping his hand a little too tightly, but he grinned it off.

"We could use a beautiful girl like you in the Northern Air Temple community" he said shyly, looking up at her.

She smiled to this time. He didn't have to give her the world. He'd given her hope.

She would stay. As long as hope remained fresh, that the past would stay in the past and the future would be filled with a new change. Maybe she could teach them at the Northern Air temple how to defend themselves, and they could teach her how to let go and be free.

The gray-eyed boy beside her could be all she ever needed.

If only she would learn to let him in.

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_How quickly things change. In the next chapter, I'll put up if people are keen - Mai makes a major faux par while living out a childhood crush on Zuko with Teo._

_You know, as long as she keeps her eyes closed and he keeps his mouth shut, Teo could resemble a younger Zuko. :D Poor Teo! Lol._


	3. Northern Air Temple II

**SUMMARY:**

_Mai finds herself reliving schoolgirl fantasies of Zuko at Teo's expense. Teo doesn't really mind._

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It was dark and Mai sat on the bed in front of her. He wheeled beside her, pulling up to a stop at the foot of the bed. "Uh, I have to keep watch over you" he said bashfully "Avatar's orders".

She ran a fingernail through her hair.

"Make yourself comfortable" he said brightly. "Your new home"

It was funny what changed so fast. She slunk on the bed. He picked up a hermit crab skuttling across the floor. She would have stomped on it, but now he grinned as it crawled along his hand.

"Cute, huh?" he asked and she didn't reply. He tried to slide it off onto her palm but she shook the creature away.

"So, do you like it here?" he asked. She looked at him.

"Some things" she said honestly.

Mai wasn't the type given to pointless lies. In reality, he admired her honesty. She pulled a dagger from the concealment of her sleeve and threw it at the wall. It quivered and stuck there.

Teo's eyes followed the blade. "Nice. You want to teach me?" He said positively.

She looked at him curiously. Sometimes she didn't know if he was kidding or not. But in all the time she'd spent with him, it had become quite obvious that he wasn't one who spoke sarcastically.

"Well... since I've been teaching you gliding" he reasoned.

She brushed her hand back as if to say, 'whatever' and he pulled himself up onto the bed beside her.

"Great!"

His face was familiar. She traced every gentle curve of it with her eyes as he grinned.

"So?" He asked, confused about where to start.

Mai's apathetic eyes traced over his face again. She remembered as a girl, thinking about a boy like this. So bashful and shy... cute... Zuko. She almost mouthed his name.

It was like she was back when she was innocent again, before the fire nation drive for power became a reigning force in her blood. Before fire nation passion became numbed by the bordem of life.

That passion came back surging. She pushed the boy down and kissed him hard. He kissed back, after recovering from the slight amount of shock in her actions.

"I hate the earth kingdom" she said bitterly between kisses.

"That's ok" Teo said brightly "I really shouldn't like the Fire Nation either."

She didn't hate him though. She wasn't even indifferent. Her usual apathetic response, now swallowing him in an attack styled bout of passion. She liked that he was weak, vunerable and yet still so trusting when he had no reason to be.

She almost wanted to take advantage of it.

He didn't mind her apathy. Apathy was ok. Even hate was ok. Dishonesty was not.

Mai pressed on his ribcage. He was so bashful, innocent. Everything she had wanted in Zuko. But not what he had become. She kissed him harder.

It hurt.

They didn't have to say anything though, Mai was remembering... reminicing. A childhood crush that never came to fruition.

"Zuko" she murmered at last, as they broke for a breath.

He tensed. She looked at him, eyes growing wide. The fire in them dimmed, like coals that had been doused in water.

And with that... It was over.

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_You know Teo's probably the only guy in the Avatar universe that would let her get away with that. Alright, Jet too. As long as being with her stroked his ego enough. ;)_

_R&R_


	4. Northern Air Temple III

_From the last chapter..._

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"You called me Zuko"

"So what?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do I have to talk about it?"

"No. Not if you don't want to talk about it."

"Then no."

Teo was confused. He knew he shouldn't have gotten involved with the fire nation. It almost stung. He had nothing more to say so he started to roll away. But then she said something unexpected.

"I don't hate it here."

He turned back around. "Really? You mean it?" But she didn't have to confirm.

He smiled and said again, "I like the way you don't pretend. You're always straight up. I appreciate it." His voice was happy and then it turned dark "I can't stand lies."

What would you have it? Mr nice guy had a dark side after all.

He looked away, some memories were just too painful. His father, the one person he should trust... it had been forgiven and forgotten, mostly. But some scars still remained.

Mai looked him up and down, thinking of who he was. Mr happy go lucky and realizing that he had a lot in common with her best friend. "You think I'd be sick of positive people by now" she said blankly and bore a sigh. "I can't help myself. It's sickening." She shook her head.

She really shouldn't be there. It wasn't where she belonged.

"Maybe part of you really wants to be happy, to be free. I think we all feel like that."

"You think you know me so well?" She asked. She wasn't defensive, instead intrigued by his gall. "It seems almost funny that a boy like you would try to be a hero" she thought aloud, her mind on the war.

"I was helping a friend" he said "just like you."

"Éxcept my friend lost and your friend won" she said, bitter thoughts turning to the Avatar. The perfect scapegoat.

"Don't be like that. It's time for new beginnings" he said brightly.

Mai cast her eyes down. Was she ready for new beginnings? "I'm not starting all over again... but next time..." she smiled wryly "I'll call you Teo."

"I'll take that" Teo agreed and they shared a look which said it all.

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	5. Captured

**Now it's the other way around. Teo has become prisoner for a matter of hours.**

**Ty Lee confronts Mai about him.**

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"You've been spending a lot of time with the prisoner" Ty Lee noticed. "you don't pity him do you?" she said the last bit in a whisper. If Azula heard the words 'pity' she would be all over them like a rash.

"No" Mai said bluntly.

"Good" Ty Lee said brightly, "because Azula wants us to use him to lure the Avatar... he does look a little like Zuko though." She commented offhand.

"I hadn't noticed."

Ty Lee put on an innocent pout. "What's his name again?"

"Teo" said Mai without thinking, and then had to bite her tongue and hide a blush. It was a trap.

"You ARE getting too close to him!" Ty Lee squealed "I won't tell Azula though" she added loyally.

"There's nothing to tell" said Mai bitterly and walked away.


	6. Captured II

**Random Stuff About Stuff:** :D Umm... I wrote a little on HOW it happened. But I just couldn't be bothered typing it up. Just let it slide for now ;)

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"My father will be looking for me" he said defiantly.

"How cute." Azula circled him, saying with a drop of sarcasm "Missing someone to wheel you around?" She smirked and continued "Not that I don't know how you feel. My brother has... special needs too" she said cracking a joke.

Mai flinched. She still didn't like jokes about Zuko, but she'd never speak up about it.

"Mai. Ty Lee. Get what he knows from him. I know the Avatar is planning something and I want to know when." Azula shot her two sidekicks a smile like a lion that had just walked into a herd of buffallo. "And use whatever means necessary"

Teo's face went from confidence to horror when Azula left and the two girls stood in front of him, grins on their faces.

"This is going to be fun. Don't you agree Mai?"

"My favorite part of a capture" Mai answered and looked Teo up and down. Now wasn't the time to harbor feelings and Mai tried her best to ignore them. After all, ignoring any feelings was what she did best.

"So, cutie..." Perked up Ty Lee. "want to tell us what the Avatar's planning?"

Mai shook her head. Ty Lee didn't know the first thing about interrogating sometimes.

"How about when?" Backed up Mai. Knowing the real answer they were searching for.

Teo glared at them. "I will never betray Aang to the Fire Nation" he responded.

"How noble" Mai said dryly and pulled out a hand of knives from up her sleeve.

"You know Mai." Ty Lee said after thinking a minute "I don't think he knows anything"

"It's best to be sure" Mai said and looked to her knives then back at him, who was paling.

"Yeah... but what if he doesn't?"

"I thought you didn't pity him."

"I don't... but..." she looked at her friend.

"You didn't go easy on that water tribe boy. I'm not going to go easy on him" Mai said to her aside.

"Actually Mai..." Ty Lee confessed "I went a little easy on the... uh... friend of the Avatar's..."

She earned a very dirty look.

"I couldn't help it!" Ty Lee squealed in defence "he was cute!"

This was serious. If Ty Lee wasn't doing her best, Azula had to know. They were at war. And if Ty Lee was putting flirting first...

"Anyway" Ty Lee began again, a smile on her face "there are... other ways of torturing him you know?"

Mai couldn't believe Ty Lee would be suggesting such a thing!

"More... fun ways" Ty Lee went on. Her voice perky.

Mai looked up to the sky in exasperation. That's when she saw it. An unmarked balloon?

They had come to get him. The kid was right. Should they take them out?

The sky above them had already begun to fill with gliders and Azula had rounded up the lizards.

"Mai. Take care of the prisoner" Azula demanded. As Ty Lee took the riens of two lizards and grinned and winked at Mai, who was only set to do this because she was the closest to the boy at the time.

Teo's eyes grew wide. Take care of him? He didn't like the sound of that.

Mai grinned as the others rode away and knives reappeared from her sleeve. "This won't hurt..." she began "...much..."


	7. ALERT!

I never actually typed up the rest of this fic. But I am tempted to. But instead I did a video. It's Haru/Ty Lee, Mai/Teo.

So... Go to youtube or livevideo and type in **Easyboy201**.

**And I'll thank you for checking it out!**


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